Open-Loop Neuromorphic Controller Implemented on VLSI Devices

An ever increasing amount of robotic platforms are being equipped with a new generation of neuromorphic computing architectures. Neuromorphic computing systems represent a promising brain-inspired technology that use asynchronous pulses to encode, transmit, and process sensory signals, typically implemented in compact low-latency and low-power devices. However, although multiple examples of sensing and processing neuromorphic devices have been successfully deployed on robotic platforms, no example of event-based neuromorphic motor controller has been proposed yet. In this paper, we present an open-loop neuromorphic controller implemented using a full-custom spiking neural network VLSI chip interfaced to motors for performing position control. The proposed controller is based on biologically inspired principles by which the discharge of motor-neuron populations produces muscle contractions. Following these principles, we use the spikes of the silicon neurons present in the neuromorphic chip to encode the target position and drive the motors using Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM) technique, rather than the more traditional Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) one.